“The Doctrine that Everything Has Only One Aspect” and “The Doctrine that Everything Has Two Aspects”

“The theory of one point” is a popular view of one sidedness of metaphysics, opposite to “The theory of two points”.

In his speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the CPC in 1956, Mao Zedong first called the one-sidedness of metaphysics as “The theory of one point”, pointing out that “metaphysics is a theory of one point”. “The theory of two points” is a profound and popular view of the dialectical meaning of the theory of unity of opposites. Mao Zedong pointed out: "Both theories of one point and two points have existed since ancient times, namely the metaphysics and materialist dialectics.”

“The theory of one point” means thinking in terms of absolute and a one-sided approach to a problem, considers individuals as isolated subjects, sees things as isolated, static and one-sided and indulges in the mistake of regarding one part of phenomenon for the whole; sees only the current situation of things, not the future development of them.

“The theory of two points” holds that all things and phenomena are composed of two aspects which are both opposite and unified; these two aspects are not absolutely in equilibrium, instead any contradiction has primary and secondary aspects; the two aspects transform into each other under certain conditions through a contradictory struggle of mutual exclusion.

“The theory of two points” is based on the recognition of the objective universality, variability and particularity of the contradiction of things.

Mao Zedong said:“ There will always be two aspects, even ten thousand years from now. Each age, whether the future or the present, has its own two aspects, and each individual has his own two aspects. In short, there are two aspects, not just one.”

In order to analyze things with the theory of two points, we should see both the positive and the negative aspect of things to see the mainstream and the tributaries, the present and the future, the commonness and the particularity of them as well. Upholding “The theory of two points” is to adhere to the view of unity of opposites when observing things and when resolving contradictions.